The Industrial Revolution

1784 First Mechanical Loom

Jan 1, 1784

Edmund Cartwright invented the first mechanical loom in 1784. His first loom was not a success, but it led to the invention of his second loom in 1789 that became the model for other looms.

1870 Assembly Line Slaughter Houses

Jan 1, 1870

The meatpacking industry is the first to claim the assembly line. These slaughterhouses used trolleys to move carcasses past a line of workers who each did a specific task. Assembly lines are commonly known for putting things together, but this one was responsible for taking things apart, specifically the parts of dead animals. From the slaughter house assembly lines, Henry Ford was able to draw inspiration for his own famous assembly line.

Henry Ford's Model T

Jan 1, 1908

Henry Ford invented the Model T in 1908 and it was made until 1927. It is significant to the industrial revolution because he utilized the assembly line to make a vehicle that was affordable to average people. People having quick transportation later helped with trade outside of the boundary of a town or city. Here is a video to show more about Henry Ford.

Henry Ford's Assembly line

Jan 5, 1950

[Ford took the assembly line and did really cool things with it. We still use his model today.]

The Programmable Logic Controller

Jan 1, 1968

Richard E. Morley came up with the first PLC for the General Electric Company. This is significant because it is the first time computers were used in the assembly line. Industrial work, from that point on, changed. The image shows one used in 1971.

Cyber and Digital Reliant Systems

Jan 5, 2017

The evolution of mechanical industry has changed the way it works today. From the type of fuel used to power factories (fossil fuels, wind, and solar energy), to the use of machines to assemble products is dramatically different from how it used to be. The video linked shows how things have changed over time.

Overall History

Jan 5, 2017

This video shows a review of how industry has changed over time.